Chapter 9: Recovery and Anticipation
7/12/2009
Daytime
Minato wiped the perspiration that coated his forehead with the blue towel he held in his hand, glancing at his watch as he did so. 9 o'clock, huh? Returning from his morning run Minato had found himself in an empty dorm that was completely devoid of any activity. Minato hadn't expected it to be so quiet when he got back but considering everything that happened last night he shouldn't be too surprised.
After pouring himself a glass of water Minato opened the fridge, sipping at his drink as he took inventory. Is that seriously all we have in the fridge? Minato sighed as he surveyed the near-empty refrigerator, adding "grocery shopping" to his already extensive "to do" list for the day. If this was all they had to eat Minato was in deep trouble for today but it would make do for this morning's meal.
After changing into some fresh clothes Minato returned to the kitchen with a white bandanna tied around his head just like his uncle did at the beef bowl shop. As the process of cooking consumed Minato's time and hands he began to wonder what it was that everyone else in S.E.E.S. was up to today.
"Sorry but I'm going to meet someone right now," Akihiko inwardly sighed at the pair of girls who had been pestering him ever since he'd gotten off the train. For reasons beyond Akihiko's comprehension girls tended to engage in conversation with him whenever they could, even on a Sunday afternoon on their days off. At times like this Akihiko could do nothing else but attempt to liberate himself from the social engagement that he abruptly found himself in.
"Eeeehhhh? Sanada-senpai has a date?" One of the girls whined in a manner that Akihiko found rather aggravating.
Akihiko's grip on his jacket tightened and he had to compel himself to relax. He sincerely couldn't understand how the two teenage girls had managed to come to that conclusion. "No, it's nothing of the sort. I'm just going to talk to a friend for a little bit, okay" Akihiko's words came out harsher than he had intended, but given his current mental frustration it couldn't be helped.
"I-Is that so?" One of the girls stammered uncomfortably at his tone and swept a strand of hair behind her ear, turning to her friend in the process. "Did you want to go check out what movies are playing?"
"H-Huh? Oh… sure let's go." The two girls walked away slowly towards the movie theater, at long last leaving Akihiko alone.
Akihiko sighed aloud this time and continued on his way. Thank goodness they finally left. Akihiko wasn't sure how much longer he would have been able to refrain from verbally lashing out at them. In comparison to his cool, composed self Akihiko's current patience was running paper thin, speaking volumes of the mental distress he had been feeling since the events that had ensued yesterday evening.
Knowing that the person he was looking for was already more than difficult to track down during a school day Akihiko had already mustered the determination to search for them the entire day he had off if that's what it took. Akihiko rounded the corner of the alley behind Port Island Station and, feeling that he had just expended a lifetime's worth of luck, found precisely who he had been looking for sitting on the stairs. Casually… Just… Casually… "How's it goin'? You got nothing to do as usual I see."
Shinjiro's eyes were dangerous when he opened them and glanced up from underneath his beanie. Upon seeing Akihiko standing in front of him with a friendly smile on his face he marginally relaxed and grunted. "What're you doing here? Wait… don't answer that. Since you're here talking to me I bet you're gonna try to convince me again. For the last time don't even bother tryin' to convince me. You're just wasting your precious time."
Akihiko sat down heavily beside his friend shaking his head to contradict Shinjiro's presumption. "I didn't come here for that, Shinji. I guess you could say that I just wanted to check up on ya." Akihiko gazed up at the light blue sky absentmindedly. "We've known each other for a long time, Shinji. A few more months and it will be fourteen years since we met at that orphanage. The three of us… You, me, Miki… We used to run around this place until the sun went down and by the time we'd get back to the orphanage it'd be so far past curfew we weren't allowed to go out for a week. At the time it felt like the three of us had all the time in the world. Time sure flies, huh?"
Shinjiro grunted at Akihiko's reminiscence, more amused than nostalgic. "You haven't changed one bit, Aki." At Akihiko's confused expression Shinjiro continued, "If you wanna get all sappy n' shit go do it with your other friends. I'm sure they'd happily listen to you unlike me."
Akihiko narrowed his eyes and felt his temperature start to rise, biting off every single word. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Shinjiro leaned back, resting his elbows on a step behind him and closed his eyes. "It's unusual for you to reflect on the past, Aki. Normally you charge ahead without thinking like a damn fool, totally disregarding what is happening around you. So, if you're going to think back on the past like this something has gotta be on your mind that you want to spit out." Seriously… Aki thinks he's so inscrutable when I can read him like a book.
Akihiko's face relaxed as his eyes turned to the floor in front of him. "I admit that I do reminisce sometimes but… what's the point of it?" Akihiko closed his eyes for a moment and when he opened them again he was his normal self. "What I really wanted to tell you is that we figured out how to end Tartarus and the Dark Hour."
Shinjiro raised an eyebrow at that, which to him was the equivalent to a shout of alarm. "You ain't shitting me?"
Akihiko gave a short laugh at Shinjiro's profane manner of speaking but his amusement quickly died off and his eyes grew distant once more, wandering to the sky. "No, I'm not messin' with you. Being honest here all I've been thinking about recently is to get stronger. Then yesterday someone made me doubt my reason for fighting."
Shinjiro shook his head ever so slightly, amused that Akihiko once more went back to being sappy. "'Reason for fighting', huh?" Shinjiro repeated as he too glanced up at the sky. "Everyone's got their own reason and they come up with it themselves. You can quit if you don't have one like I did."
"Are you seriously trying to convince me to quit S.E.E.S.? Sorry to disappoint you, Shinji, but I'm not like you." Akihiko hung his head as it slowly dawned on him what was happening. "Man… I can't believe I'm the one getting lectured here and questioning myself." Akihiko watched Shinjiro from the corner of his eyes and, from seeing that he was just sitting there quietly, stood up and walked away. "Well… That was a good talk. See ya 'round, Shinji," Akihiko called over his shoulder as he waved his hand in parting.
Shinjiro clicked his tongue the moment Akihiko disappeared around the corner, muttering under his breath, "You haven't changed at all, Aki. Not one bit." Shinji took out a round container and popped two pieces of its contents into his mouth, cursing as he rolled the cylinders in his mouth.
Fuuka typed furiously, her one hundred and twenty words per minute typing speed caused the rapid key presses to resemble the sound of machine gun fire. She needed to finish this essay quickly since she wanted to get it over with and finally be able to relax for a little bit. Glancing to various monitors for useful bits of information her fingers didn't slow at all.
"-gishi?"
The machine gun fire stopped and Fuuka slid her headphones down to her neck. Fuuka waited for a few moments wondering if the voice had been her imagination.
"Yamagishi?" The voice repeated accompanied by three light knocks on her door.
Since there was only one person in S.E.E.S. who referred to Fuuka as "Yamagishi" it had to be Mitsuru-senpai. "Yes?" Fuuka called out as she set her headphones down on her desk, standing up from her seat.
"Can I speak to you for a few minutes? It won't take much of your time, I assure you." Fuuka frowned slightly, feeling that Mitsuru sounded… frazzled.
Fuuka opened her door and ushered Mitsuru in. "It's no problem, Mitsuru-senpai. I'm just about finished with what my essay."
Mitsuru took a moment to admire Fuuka's impressive computer setup, only to respect the teal-haired girl even more for being able to use all the monitors simultaneously. "Yamagishi… I see that you excel at providing intelligence and support during battle but also at obtaining information."
"I-I'm sorry for intruding!" Fuuka bowed deeply, mistaking Mitsuru's sincere compliment for hostility. "I didn't mean to cause trouble! I was just helping Yukari with her request! I'm sorry! I'm really, really sorry!"
Mitsuru was slightly taken aback by the excessive amount of apologies. "Don't fret, Yamagishi, you're not in trouble and I'm not blaming you for what happened last night. It was bound to happen eventually even if you hadn't found that information. Instead I also have a request of you."
"A… request?" Fuuka repeated, not quite understanding the implication behind it.
"I want you to uncover everything you can about the incident that took place ten years ago. Other than what I explained last night I know nothing else about the event," Mitsuru admitted her lack of knowledge, her eyes glancing to the side and grasping her arm.
"All I was able to find was what the media had written about in newspapers, magazines, and reports. Very little was made public!" Fuuka wasn't trying to make excuses but simply stating the facts. "Unless there's a private database-"
"There is," Mitsuru interjected, causing Fuuka to falter to a stop. "What I want you to do is access the Kirijo Group's database."
"You're not telling me to hack into their system right? That's illegal!" Fuuka just wanted to make sure that she wasn't agreeing to anything that was going to have her thrown in jail for the rest of her life.
"Don't worry you won't be hacking into anything," Mitsuru assured at Fuuka's frightened expression. "I'll give you my ID and password for the database. I'll take full responsibility for whatever may happen. If I'm to be honest I want to know the truth behind the event as well. And I would like to think the Kirijo Group's database would supply more information than the public sector."
"Senpai…" Fuuka covered her mouth, moved by the trust the leader of S.E.E.S. had in her. Never before in her life had anyone entrusted so much to her.
"Don't feel inclined to accept just because I'm asking you, Yamagishi. I will understand perfectly if you refuse." Mitsuru needed to make that absolutely clear, fearing she was, as Yukari had pointed out last night, using people as mere tools.
"No, it's okay. I'll do all I can, Mitsuru-senpai!" Fuuka blinked away the moisture in her eyes and pumped her fists.
"A-Are you sure?" Mitsuru smiled softly at her kouhai's excessive, enthusiastic nodding. "I appreciate it, Yamagishi." Mitsuru opened the door and took a step to leave, pausing as she uneasily asked over her shoulder. "Yamagishi… Are you resentful towards me? I've come to realize that I dragged you, Yukari, Minato, and Junpei… All of you... into this without explaining everything I knew. I did it with the best intentions in mind but I should have explained it from the beginning. You must be upset with me."
"Mhm… Not really," Fuuka said absentmindedly as she sat down at her desk, mentally steeling herself to finish the essay. "My parents have an inferiority complex since all my relatives are doctors so they're always strict on me. Because of that it's really, really difficult for me to be at home as they're always on my case about things. But here at the dorm there's no nagging or sense of inferiority for me. The environment is so much more… homier than the one at home if that makes any sense. And here," Fuuka turned to Mitsuru and gave her a warm smile, placing her headphones over her ears, "I have a purpose and a job to do."
Mitsuru's mouth curved slightly as the teal-haired girl turned her attention to the monitors spread out before her. "You're absolutely right about that, Yamagishi," Mitsuru whispered as the typing resumed, "Here in S.E.E.S. you have a job that no one else can do, not even our field leader. I'll see you later." Mitsuru left Fuuka's room and closed the door behind her, leaning against it and staring at the ceiling. "Thank you, Yamagishi. Really… Thank you."
"Tartarus and the Dark Hour will disappear, huh?" Junpei muttered, stepping out of the movie theater after watching a lame movie whose title he couldn't even remember. "Damn it!" Junpei vented as he kicked a soda can that was on the floor sending it high in the air, coming back down to the ground with a metallic clatter.
Junpei clicked his tongue and continued dragging his feet, the intense sunlight beating down on him. The blistering heat wasn't helping with Junpei's sour mood after exiting a nicely air conditioned building. "That's good. I mean we're fighting the Shadows to get rid of those things, right? It's only natural for the end result to be like this." Junpei felt another wave of frustration wash over him, gritting his teeth as he scratched the back of his head. Then why the hell am I so pissed off? Junpei hadn't felt this upset since the last time his dad had been in a drunken rage which, if Junpei were to be honest, was quite a while ago since he hadn't been home in months thanks to S.E.E.S.
Sitting down heavily on the nearest bench Junpei relaxed the fists that were resting on his knees, suddenly feeling solemn. "Heh… I know why." Junpei smiled bitterly, his eyes darkening under the brim of his hat. "I'm the reason. Always thinkin' that 'fighting is my duty' and 'this is something only I can do' when swinging around that sword of mine is all I'm really good for. I'm not good at studying or even sports really… If it weren't for the Dark Hour I'd be…" Junpei couldn't utter the word that was echoing within his mind. Worthless.
Junpei chuckled, amused at his state of emotional instability. "My duty? What a buncha bullcrap. I ain't got any duty for anything." And I can't fight well anyways… At least… Not when compared to him. The creeping claw of jealousy began to grip Junpei as Arisato Minato, the young man who was his friend, leader, and classmate excelled at everything he tried his hand at with seemingly no effort at all, came to mind.
Minato's appearance had cast waves the moment he had appeared. Being rumored to be going out with Yukari, easily one of the most sought-out girls in school, Minato became a topic of conversation his very first day of school. Taking the top spot in their class academically, quickly becoming the ace of the Kendo Team, and apparently he was making quite the impact in the Art Club he had recently joined. Not to mention having a natural talent in fighting Shadows and being selected as the Field Leader for S.E.E.S. even though he was just as new to it as the rest of them were.
Junpei was envious of Minato seemingly breeze through life without the slightest problem. Minato was always so calm and dependable. Junpei surmised that it was because Minato was confident with himself, always capable of doing what it was that needed to be done. No… I'm wrong. Junpei recalled how weak Minato had looked that one day on the rooftop knowing that he had had it rough growing up. I'm really just jealous of how he's able to stay so composed after all he's been through and still manage to move forward.
Junpei's fist slammed down onto the hard wood plank that was the armrest, ignoring the throbbing pain that came mere moments after. Nothing I do is ever good enough! Junpei relaxed his hand once more, rubbing the swelling skin, regretting punching something harder than his fist. Taking in a deep breath of air Junpei closed his eyes and sighed heavily, leaning back into the bench and rolling his neck. "Damn it…"
Sitting silently on her soft bed Yukari brushed her fingers against the familiar white envelope that lay on her lap. For minutes she had been in this position merely staring at the envelope, already aware of its contents and who it had sent it. The first time she had read it she cried more than any one moment Yukari could care to remember. Even now her chest felt hollow and empty yet every time she read this letter her spirit became elated, the ghost of a smile constantly on her face.
When this letter, a letter from her father, had arrived last spring Yukari had read it so many times she could almost recall it from memory. But she still read it, comforted by the smooth, neat handwriting that belonged to her father. Whenever Yukari touched it she imagined that her hand touching her father's, and that emotion in itself almost brought her to the brink of tears. I miss you… Otou-san. Yukari blinked away the moisture and shook her head.
"Otou-san… It seems like my worst fears keep coming true. I had a hunch that Mitsuru-senpai was withholding information on us and I was right. Worse yet we're practically cleaning up her family's mess." Yukari sighed and leaned back against the wall. "Tell me, Otou-san… Is it naïve and stupid of me to believe in things such as trust and friendship?" Naturally no one answered her. Yukari gave a short laugh thinking that it was ridiculous in how she had almost expected to hear a reply.
Yukari opened the envelope and carefully withdrew the pages held within. She felt as nervous as she had the first time she held these pages in her hands. Yukari relaxed and rested her shaking hands on her legs, unfolding the pages and began reading the first segment of the letter.
March 6th, 2000.
To my family,
Tomorrow I'll bring this letter to the opening ceremony for the Moonlight Bridge. It'll be stored in a time capsule and sent to you ten years from now.
Yukari… You're so small right now, but in ten years, you'll be sixteen. You'll be in high school. I wonder if you'll have a boyfriend at this time. If you do I'm going to-
Yukari couldn't help but smile every time she read that. It was just like her dad to cross something like that out. He had never been the confrontational type. The smile drifted away and Yukari took a deep breath.
I know you've been sad lately because I have to work so late but you never fail to greet me with a smile whenever I return home. You have no idea how much joy you bring to me by doing that.
As boastful and conceited as this may sound I'm really proud of myself. Kirijo-san appointed me as the Head Researcher in the lab.
I'll be starting a big project soon and I'm happy to be receiving so much recognition for my work. It's times like this when I feel that this is the reason I become a researcher.
But I swear to you, Yukari, that nothing is more important to me than you and your mother. We're family after all. And you're my precious daughter. I admit that you'll always be Daddy's little girl.
Yukari… Are you remembering to enjoy life?
Are you still bright-eyed and hopeful, like you are now?
I certainly hope you are.
Regardless of what may happen within the next ten years I dearly wish you are still happy. Still smiling that beautiful smile, watching the world with sparkling eyes, and laughing at my lame jokes. However I seriously think you're just laughing for my sake. But I don't mind that at all. It just goes to show how kind you are at heart.
Well, I hope this letter is able to bring a smile to your face.
Love,
Dad
Yukari felt it on her face but still brushed her mouth with her fingers, tracing the smile that was, as her father had hoped, brought to her face. Congratulations Dad… You got your wish, Yukari thought as she closed the letter and placed it back in the envelope, casting it aside as she stood up. "I can't lose hope now… for his sake. Don't worry, Otou-san, I won't turn my back. I won't be like mom." Yukari swore, clenching her fists. "Not ever…"
Dark Hour
"It's good to see you again."
Minato grunted as he pushed himself away from the ground, deciding to stop his workout even though he was in the middle of it. Minato sat cross legged out of breath as the familiar, pale blue-eyed boy sat on his bed, his legs swinging playfully.
"How long has it been since we first met?" Pharos wondered aloud as he leaned forward, resting his chin on both his palms. "Time passes so quickly when you're not paying attention. So how's life as a Persona-user?"
Minato forcefully calmed his racing heart and labored breathing. "It's… It's been fulfilling," Minato managed. "It's a bit more responsibility than I'm used to but… It's fun." It's fun being with friends that are so close they feel like family.
"Oh? That's excellent." Pharos smiled gratefully as if thanking everyone in S.E.E.S. Suddenly Pharos' eyes lit up brightly. "Ah! I just remembered something else about the coming of the end. It all goes back to an occurrence that took place many years ago… ten if I remember correctly. Hey, didn't your parents pass away about ten years ago?"
Upon hearing that Minato suddenly stiffened. Minato knew all too well how long ago his parents had passed away leaving Minato behind in the world with one final request of him. He didn't need to be reminded of that horrifying memory that came to haunt him whenever he slept. Minato reflexively shivered.
Pharos didn't seem to notice Minato's reaction and continued with a tangent like he usually did. "A Persona is like a mirror you know. Which means a Persona-user can never escape from their true self. They have no choice but to accept it. Regardless of what may happen I will stay with you. After all, we are friends." Pharos smiled again and he began to fade away, once more, and always, leaving Minato behind to ponder what it was the mysterious boy had said to him.
Minato got up and washed his face as a deep, ancient voice spoke in his head. He sighed and decided that it was about time to call it a night. Minato had plans for a busy week. First things first were to get Yukari-san to make up with Mitsuru-senpai. Last thing Minato wanted was a rift in S.E.E.S. that would tear them apart before they accomplished their goal.
7/13/2009
Evening
The grandfather clock in the dorm lounge ticked every passing second by audibly telling time in an endless, unfaltering fashion. The loud, distinct click was the only sound that could be heard, which, if a passerby had closed their eyes, betrayed the fact that there were six people standing in absolute silence around the dining table.
Minato let out a deep breath, unaccustomed to the heavy, tense atmosphere that filled the room. Minato felt like he was being crushed by a boulder. Not exactly sure in how they had all wound up sitting at the dining table staring at each other, the ground, or the table awkwardly in the first place Minato couldn't help but wonder what god had made this possible.
Mitsuru and Akihiko sat on one end of the table, Fuuka and Yukari sitting opposite with a single chair flanked by Minato and Junpei in between the two girls.
Minato could practically feel Junpei fidgeting at his relatively close proximity, probably based on the fact Junpei still hadn't apologized for his behavior for the last operation. Minato could see Akihiko tapping his foot impatiently waiting for something to happen. Mitsuru was paler than usual, creating an alarming contrast between her red hair and light skin. Fuuka's eyes moved in a cycle looking up, left, right, down, then up again. Yukari fiddled with her thumbs and refused to meet anyone's eyes.
Just as Minato was about to dismiss himself to his room since nothing was going to happen with this atmosphere Fuuka, surprisingly, spoke up. "You know it's almost summer break. Does anyone have any plans?"
"Summer break?" Junpei asked wistfully. "I wish I could go to the beach. You know where the hot sand, cool breeze, babes in bikinis… Man, that'd be totally awesome. If I had a choice I'd go somewhere in the south where the water is so clear you can see the bottom when standing chest deep. But first," Junpei's voice took on a heavier tone, "We gotta get through exams first. Bruh… Talk about a major drag."
Fuuka laughed cheerfully despite the tense mood, noticeably lightening the atmosphere. "There, there, I'm sure you'll be just fine in the exams. But yeah the beach does sound nice. I don't remember the last time I've been there. I'd love to go somewhere famous for its beautiful, clean beaches like Okinawa."
"Well it may not be Okinawa but how does Yakushima sound?"
S.E.E.S. turned towards the front door as a familiar man in a brown suit strode in, hanging his hat on the coat stand near the entrance.
Mitsuru stood up as soon as she recognized who it was. "Mr. Chairman… I did not anticipate that you'd be coming over today."
"I happened to be in the area," Ikutsuki explained as he approached the students, frowning at the strange atmosphere that he felt the moment he entered he dorm. "So I thought I'd drop by and inform you all of my schedule for next week. Mitsuru, I understand that your father will be vacationing in Yakushima during you post-exam break."
Mitsuru's eyebrows knit together as this was entirely new information to her. She had never really bothered to keep herself informed of her father's schedule. "He will?"
"Yes, he will. I can show you his schedule if you feel so inclined. Mitsuru, why don't you go and pay him a surprise visit at Yakushima during your time off?" Ikutsuki suggested.
"Seriously?!" Junpei leaned forward, slamming his hands into the table causing everyone to jump slightly. "We're going on a trip?!" Junpei raised both arms above his head, truly ecstatic. "YES! Beach babes here I come! This. Will. Be. Awesome."
Yukari rested her head on her palm, groaning in disgust. "Men… I'll never understand them."
"So how about it, Mitsuru? Does that sound like a plan?" Ikutsuki asked.
Mitsuru shifted uncomfortably where she stood, feeling the expectation in Junpei's eyes. "My father is a very busy man. I can't afford to ruin his rare vacation."
Laughing heartedly Ikutsuki straightened his glasses. "Don't worry about that, Mitsuru. There isn't a father in existence that would be upset with a daughter who went out of her way to see him. You've all done a great job in our fight against Shadows. You all should take a break from that life every now and then and live a normal high school life. We already know when the next operation will be so it should be okay to leave town for a while."
Junpei nodded enthusiastically at each point Ikutsuki made, the look in his eyes was so full of hope that even Mitsuru felt that she couldn't decline.
Mitsuru took a deep breath, finally relenting. "Alright. I guess everyone needs a break every now and then. Everyone? We're going to Yakushima during the post-exam break."
"Yeeeeeeaaaaaaaahhhhhh!" Junpei jumped up and down several times screaming at the top of his lungs making everyone cringe.
"The beach huh?" Akihiko mused after Junpei's cry came to an end. "I should design a special training regimen. After all, swimming in the ocean is much, much more difficult than in a pool."
"Senpai who cares about training? It's the beach for cryin' out loud! I'm so stoked!" Junpei slapped Minato on the back without realizing it, Minato just standing there taking it silently.
"Does this mean I have to go buy a swimsuit?" Fuuka wondered aloud.
"Don't worry about-"
Mitsuru walked away from the lively conversation, the mood that had been hanging over them several minutes ago disappeared without a trace. Perhaps they really did need a break. Mitsuru rubbed her temples as she reached the stairs.
Minato nudged Yukari who was still seated and nodded in Mitsuru's direction.
Yukari cleared her throat, standing up and nodding as she did so, knowing this might be the only time she'd work up the courage for this.
"Senpai!" Yukari called out from the behind her, causing Mitsuru to stop and turn around.
"Yukari?" Mitsuru cocked her head to the side. She had figured Yukari would have avoided her for much longer than she had.
"Senpai I uh… I'm sorry about the other day. I got a really carried away with my emotions and took things too far." Yukari bowed at the waist and kept her head down. "Senpai, I'm very sorry."
Mitsuru smiled warmly, reflecting the kind smile of a caring mother. She was quite relieved that they were going to get past this with no hard feelings. "It's alright, Takeba, don't worry about it. In a way it's only logical that we go to Yakushima. We can find some answers there. The Chairman once said that there was no one involved in the research on Shadows is still alive from the accident but the truth is that there is one witness who survived."
Yukari straightened herself, eyes wide at the news. "There is?"
"Yes," Mitsuru turned about and continued to ascend the stairs. "The survivor is my father."
"Senpai…" Yukari whispered as the red head disappeared on the second floor.
"So how'd it go?" Minato asked as he rounded the corner coming up behind Yukari and standing beside her.
"Minato-san? I apologized but… I'm not sure my point got across. It felt like there was a wall between us. Am I making sense?" Yukari asked as they continued to stare at where they had last seen Mitsuru.
"You're making sense," Minato answered, further elaborating, "I'm sure the wall is your imagination. When Mitsuru procures a mental wall it's very noticeable. And I'm sure she understood what you were trying to get across just fine."
Yukari smiled at that, once more glad that Minato was always capable of making her feel better. But the fleeting anxiety quickly returned. "Well I'm going to go study now. Finals start tomorrow. Snuck up on us really quick, huh?"
"Indeed it did. If you have any questions don't be afraid to ask. I'm willing to help if need be, Yukari-san," Minato smirked, confident in his academic abilities.
"I may just take you up on that offer. And Minato-san? Thanks for convincing me to apologize to Mitsuru-senpai." Yukari parted with Minato at the bottom of the stairs and headed to her room, deep in thought. Is it alright to believe in things such as trust and friendship, Otou-san?
7/15/2009
Evening
Yukari sat at her desk fervently tapping her pen against the notebook that lay open before her. She really didn't understand how Mr. Edogawa's curriculum about the occult and magic had anything to do with their normal, everyday lives. Seriously… How is this relevant to high school students at all? And why on earth is this on our finals? Yukari could only bring herself to blame administration as she held her head in frustration.
I'm not getting anywhere with this. Yukari stood up and left her room, notebook in tow. Mitsuru and Akihiko were currently absent from the dorm for reasons unknown to Yukari. Junpei was "studying" in his room and Fuuka was busy doing the same. Not wanting to bother Fuuka Yukari headed to Minato's room knowing that he was her best bet in understanding the subject matter that evaded her.
Yukari reached the boy's floor of the dormitory and walked down the hall towards Minato's room. As she passed Junpei's room she heard loud snoring coming from behind the door. Yukari rolled her eyes at Junpei's dismissal from dinner to go study. Since Junpei had yet to apologize to Minato about his behavior he wasn't exactly comfortable asking the number one student in their class for tutoring like he did before. As bad as she felt Yukari predicted that Junpei's ranking was going to plummet and he'd have to take supplementary classes over summer break.
"Minato?" Yukari called out as she neared his room. Being greeted by silence Yukari noticed that his bedroom door was slightly ajar with a faint light emitting from the gap. "Minato?" Yukari repeated quietly this time. "You busy?" Yukari opened the door slowly revealing the pristine living space that was Minato's room.
Seated at his neatly organized desk Minato was sprawled over textbooks and sheets of paper sound asleep. Curious at the presence of textbooks that Minato had spread out over the surface of his desk Yukari crept closer. Minato claimed to have memorized all the textbooks when Yukari and Junpei had inquired about his studying habits at the beef bowl shop after their first study session for midterms which is why Yukari couldn't help but wonder.
Leaning over the blue-haired boys shoulder to get a closer look Yukari could hear faint music coming from the speakers that covered his ears. Minato's shoulders rose and fell in a slow, rhythmic consistency that portrayed the peaceful slumber he was in. In his right hand he held a pen, a long squiggly black line on the page from when he had fallen asleep. The textbooks that he was covering were none other than the ones that the school supplied for their classes. Yukari observed more carefully and noticed that on the sheets of paper were hastily written notes and visual representations of topics organized by subject.
A sudden clatter made Yukari's heart jump. Upon seeing that it was just the pen that had fallen out of Minato's limp fingers she relaxed once more. So he was kidding about memorizing all the textbooks, huh? Yukari speculated as to why Minato would lie to them about that; there certainly was no reason that Yukari could come up with as to why. She understood that Minato had his own reasons for doing things just as she did, but was it really so bad to admit that he studied hard enough to fall asleep at his own desk? Sometimes Yukari couldn't understand what went on in this boy's head.
"Nnnngggghhhh…" Minato groaned, his head turning to the side and repositioning himself to a more comfortable pose, papers crumpling as he did so.
Yukari felt a smile tug at her lips and walked to his bed, taking the blanket off and placing it gently over Minato's shoulders. She'd come back and ask him about magic history tomorrow in the morning.
"Okaa-san? Where are we going?" Minato's eyelids felt so heavy that he barely managed to keep them open as his mother carried him down the stairs of their home.
"There's supposed to be a meteor shower tonight, dear. It's the first one there's been in years so it'd be a waste to sleep through it, don't you think?" His mother asked as Minato yawned and rubbed his eyes, burying his face in his mother's long blue hair. She ran her hand down the back of his head, comforting her child that she had woken up suddenly in order to witness the rare event.
The front door opened and a light brown-haired man made a come hither motion with his hands. "Come on, honey. It's already started!" His father's blue eyes danced, barely holding in the excitement that was depicted from his wide grin.
"We're coming we're coming!" Minato's mother picked up her pace and exited the front door, sitting in one of the camping chairs that his father had set up in the front yard beforehand. She propped Minato up on her lap and she pointed at the night sky. "Minato-kun? Keep an eye out for shooting stars, okay? And if you make a wish when you see one it's said to come true."
"Really?" Minato asked, all fatigue gone from him instantly as he sat up and eagerly watched the sparkling sky in wonder, the shining stars and white moon taking up his entire vision.
His father sat down in the other chair and wrapped a blanket around all their shoulders. He took a hold of his wife's hand and they turned to each other, sharing heart-warming smiles as the shooting stars danced across the sky. As one the family watched in wonder, enjoying the moment that they wouldn't be able to share until the next meteor shower came to be.
"I see one! I see one!" Minato shouted, pointing at the streak that flashed into and out of existence with his small fingers. "There's another one! And another!"
"You're right, Minato-kun! Very good!" His mother praised, the night sky reflecting in her grey eyes.
His father rubbed his head playfully, leaning forward and asking, "Did you make a wish like your mother told you to?"
"Mhm!" Minato nodded and looked at his parents, happiness written on every fiber of his being. "I wished for us to be together forever-"
"… and ever." Minato whispered, his blue-grey eyes opening slowly. He sat up and looked around, searching for his parents and the shooting stars. Instead he found himself alone and looking up at the yellow-green moon that dominated the starless sky. Okaa-san… Otou-san… My wish didn't come true. Minato's hand brushed against the blanket and failed to notice the tear that trickled down his cheek.
7/18/2009
After School
"Alright class, that's it for finals. I hope you all did well and score within your expectations," Ms. Toriumi wished her class to score the at least above the class average, but, judging at the presence of certain students it was in vain. "Be careful during your post-exam breaks, class. With all these recent incidents don't do anything that will endanger yourself or others no matter the circumstances, okay? On a brighter note… boys, girls… Use this time to get closer to your interest. Don't be a spineless person and end up like m-" Ms. Toriumi's voice cracked and ran out of the room, unexpectedly ending announcements on that note.
The moment Ms. Toriumi had left the room Junpei burst out of his seat screaming at the top of his lungs for the entire world to hear, "Whoohoo! I'm done baby! The dark times called testing is finally over and the sun is shinin' bright today!"
"Junpei, it's overcast today you idiot," Yukari swung around in her seat and pointed the minor fact out. "So how'd ya do this time?"
"The sun shines bright everyday, Yuka-tan. And I'll have you know that I aced P.E.!" Junpei shoved the paper in front of Yukari's face. "Check it out! Get jealous!"
Yukari calmly pushed Junpei's arm away from her face, rolling her eyes. "That just about answers my question doesn't it?"
Junpei tossed the paper over his shoulder dramatically. "A real man doesn't dwell on the past, Yuka-tan. They keep their eyes on the horizon!" Junpei struck a ridiculous pose pointing both hands to the side, his legs spread wide. "I've got my sights set on Yakushima!"
"Oh yeah, that is coming up isn't it? I totally forgot about that." Yukari directed her next question to Minato, who had up until now been sitting silently putting his school supplies away. "Are you ready for the trip?"
Minato closed his bag and placed it on the top of his desk. "Nope. Not even in the slightest."
Yukari giggled and her head tilted slightly. "Why am I not surprised? If it makes you feel any better I'm not exactly ready either." Yukari sighed as she looked out the window. "I should probably be more enthusiastic about it, huh?" Yukari returned her gaze to the two boys before they could answer and asked, "Anyway I don't have practice today. Do you guys wanna do something?"
"Ohhooooo! Yuka-tan's actually inviting us to something, Minato! Sounds good, Yuka-tan. So where we headed?" Junpei's chin dipped down slightly, giving his facial expression a more sinister look. "If you happen to need to buy a swimsuit I'd be more than glad to offer my opinion."
Yukari groaned and rolled her eyes once more, thinking that Junpei was the most absurd person she's ever met. "Like I'd ever want your opinion about something as personal as that, Stupei. Alright well I'm going to fetch some things from the locker room so meet me in the courtyard in a few minutes. I'll invite Fuuka too while I'm at it." Yukari left the classroom and the two boys watched her leave in silence.
"Hey…" Junpei said cautiously before the atmosphere became awkward, "I realize that I've been kind of a dick since the last operation… But we're still cool, right?"
Minato took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "Don't worry about it. I'm used to it."
"Dude!" Junpei exclaimed, "I'm tryin' to be serious here!"
"And so am I," Minato said sharply. He took another deep breath and spoke quieter. "I didn't mean that I'm used to you, specifically. I meant that I'm used to that type of treatment from other people. Whether you believe me or not I was quite the troublesome kid back in middle school. I actually barely managed to transfer here because of it."
"I-I see. Well if you say it like that then we're cool now, bro. All that's behind us and we got the whole world spread out in front of us, just you and me." Junpei gave Minato a friendly punch on the shoulder.
Minato returned the gesture as he stood up, adding a light tap on the back. "Come on, we'd best get going unless we want to invoke the wrath of a tsundere."
"Huh? What're you talkin' about dude?" Junpei asked as he quickly gathered his possessions.
Don't worry about it, Junpei… Just… Don't worry about it. Minato shivered and felt himself pick up the pace.
Junpei took a deep breath of fresh air, the sunlight just now breaking through the clouds and illuminating the three juniors and a senior wearing a red vest. "Oh man… I can literally smell the freedom out here. What should I do now?!"
"I wouldn't be too concerned, Junpei. You'll think of something to do eventually." Fuuka covered her eyes to protect them from the sun's harsh light.
"Heck yeah I will!" Junpei said as he took a few steps forward and swung around to face the group. "Hey…" Junpei pointed at Akihiko, "What're you doing here, Akihiko-senpai?"
Akihiko pulled out his phone and flipped it open. "Ikutsuki-san just called me. I think he want to talk to Mitsuru and I about a possible new candidate."
Yukari's eyebrows rose slightly at the motion. "Does that mean someone else might join S.E.E.S.?"
"Maybe… It's entirely possible. This is a rather densely populated city after all." Akihiko mused.
"Fuuka!" A voice called out from behind, prompting them all to turn around towards the school entrance.
"What's wrong Natsuki-chan?" Fuuka asked the newcomer, taking the last few steps to meet her friend halfway.
"Do you think you can stay after school with me for a mandatory study session? There's like, no one-" Natsuki paused as she seemed to remember something. "Oh… You're going to go back to your 'home' home today, right? I'm sorry. It was selfish of me to ask." Natsuki turned at the heel and took a few steps back towards the school.
"Wait a minute," Fuuka held up a hand as if to stop the brunette from walking any further. "It's okay. I can wait a few hours to go back home. I'm sure my parents will understand. Let's go." Fuuka looked at S.E.E.S. apologetically, "Sorry, Yukari-chan. I have to take a rain check on the hang out but I'll see you all later at the dormitory."
"Wow…" Junpei shook his head in amazement. "It's really interesting to see how much the two of them have changed, isn't it?"
Minato wordlessly agreed when he heard a familiar voice speak out, "Ah, friendship… how beautiful!" Minato felt a chill down his back as he sensed a thick sarcasm beneath the words. "Adolescence is such a wondrous thing! It's so full of vibrancy and life!" Ikutsuki commented as he walked up to the four.
"M-Mr. Chairman!" Yukari greeted, startled at his sudden appearance.
"Oh, hello," Ikutsuki acted surprised much to Minato's annoyance. For some reason the very presence of this man got on Minato's nerves. "I was passing by after I had gone to pick someone up. I was going to wait until the next meeting to introduce him but I may as well just introduce you to him now." Ikutsuki waved at the gate and a young boy who looked to be in grade school wearing shorts and an orange jacket strode up.
"Hello," the brown haired boy greeted in a respectful tone, his eyes gave the impression that he was mature beyond his years.
Akihiko's sudden visible flinch caused Minato's eyes to immediately lock onto him. The silver-haired senior paled to the extent that Minato could almost see the blood draining from his face.
"Ken-kun? What's up? Yukari crouched slightly so she was closer to eye-level with the boy.
"You know him?!" Akihiko took a step back, alarmed.
"I sometimes see him at the Naganaki Shrine. Why?" Yukari asked, wondering why her senpai asked in such a way.
"Anyway, Ken doesn't leave during the break due to his… circumstances." Ikutsuki intervened leaving Akihiko to deflate.
"Oh…" Yukari whispered carefully, "I heard about that. Something about his parents, right?"
"It was just me and my mother," Ken spoke undeterred, "She got into an accident and she… she passed away. This all happened two years ago."
Minato carefully observed the grade schooler with a critical eye. The same thing, if one subtracted a parent, had happened to Ken as it did to Minato. Although Ken was slightly older than Minato had been the traumatic experience couldn't have been too different. Without betraying his visual appearance Minato tried to pry as deeply into the boy's eyes as he possibly could.
"As of now a distant relative of his is supplying the funds for his school expenses," Ikutsuki explained, "However given his age it is rather inappropriate for an elementary student such as himself to be staying in the dorms alone. So out of the kindness of my heart I have decided to have him relocate to your dorm for the summer."
All four high school students looked at Ikutsuki in surprise, shock written on all of their faces. Yukari was the first to speak. "To our dorm?! Do you really think that's a good idea? I mean of all places…"
"Of course. Why wouldn't I pick your dorm? I mean," Ikutsuki gestured as if presenting Ken, "He has the potential."
Although it seemed impossible Akihiko looked even paler than before, speaking in a shaky voice, "Mr. Chairman… so you're saying that he's the new candidate?"
"Yes, I am," Ikutsuki straightened his glasses, "But, evidently, he's still just an elementary school student. It may be too soon to expose him to such a world but it still remains as a possibility."
"Are you Sanada-senpai?" Ken inquired and took a few steps towards Akihiko who in kind took an unstable step back.
"Uh… Y-yeah. I am," Akihiko stammered, feeling himself beginning to perspire despite the cool weather.
"I've heard a lot about you," Ken smiled at the older boy, "I've heard that you haven't lost a single boxing match you've had to this day. It's extremely impressive."
Akihiko cleared his throat, glancing about nervously. He really wished Mitsuru were here to dig him out of this situation. "Yeah it was uh… it was nice to meet you too… Ken."
"Finally some time off!" Junpei stretched his arms as he, Yukari, and Minato walked around Paulownia Mall. "Yakushima here we come! Man I can't wait for Monday! Then it's just a week of school 'til summer break and even more freedom! It's frickin' awesome, dude!" Junpei said giddily as he expressed his excitement.
"I think you're getting a bit carried away, Junpei," Yukari observed as she eyed her tall, lanky friend. "We're only going to Yakushima for a few days and we still have to fight Shadows and explore Tartarus over summer break, you know?"
"I know! Relax, Yuka-tan, I got this all under control," Junpei assured her in a carefree manner, which didn't help. "But my energy level is so high during the summer there ain't no one who can stop me!"
"What if you have classes over the summer?" Minato asked jokingly, going straight for the vitals.
"Ugh… In that case my energy is so level I barely qualify as being alive," Junpei admitted dejectedly.
"Wow that's quite the contrast isn't it?" Minato pondered. "Well if you do I wish you the best of luck!"
"Ahahaha…" Junpei laughed weakly, "Thanks for your support, Minato. But hey, come on, you are both psyched about the trip. Come on and just admit it!"
Yukari eyed the two of them interact, pleased that they finally managed to speak to each other on friendly terms once more. It had been rather painful to watch Junpei avoid Minato and the latter to wait until the former worked up the courage to apologize. Well everything is all good now. "I must say that it is rather nice that we're able to travel somewhere. It has been nonstop ever since we started exploring Tartarus."
"I'm more curious then excited," Minato said, "I don't remember ever going to the beach."
"What do you mean you don't remember going to the beach?!" Junpei shouted as he shook Minato by the shoulders. "We live in Japan man! The beach is like… right there!"
"That's… true…" Minato looked away uncomfortably and Yukari could tell that for whatever reason Minato unconsciously made it a point to stay away from the beach. "Let's go check out that arcade game we haven't had the chance to thanks to a certain someone," Minato suggested, casting Yukari a cursory glance which invoked a tilt of the head from the girl.
"Oho! You're absolutely right! Let's go check it out," Junpei agreed, easily switching subjects. "Like I said before we got the whole world before us, just you and me!"
"Hey, I'm here too! And I'll have you know it was me who invited you out," Yukari rested a hand on her canted hip.
Junpei sighed heavily, scratching the back of his head with an 'I can't believe this' look on his face. "You're right Yuka-tan, in that case we should go to karaoke."
Yukari saw Minato stiffen at the word, the mischievous part of her brain quickly clicking two and two together. She smiled sinisterly and watched Minato's facial expression plummet as he noticed it. "Karaoke actually sounds rather fun, Junpei. That's an excellent suggestion."
"W-Wait just a moment! I don't get a say in this?!" Minato waved his hands in front of him not wanting to confine himself to this undesired fate.
Junpei's eyes lit up upon seeing this, his eyes taking on the same light that illuminated Yukari's. Junpei and Yukari's eyes met, exchanging a mental conversation consisting of the single thought "We seem to have stumbled upon an unexpected weakness."
"No no no no no no," Minato took a set of frantic steps away from his two 'friends'. "No. Way. I am not, on my own free will, going to step into a karaoke booth and listen to that garbage you all call music."
"What're you trying to say, Minato-san? Are you implying that I can't sing well? And if you won't come out of your own free will…" Yukari violently grabbed hold of Minato's shoulder.
"Then we'll just have to drag you there using force," Junpei finished as he seized Minato's other shoulder.
With a firm grasp on their Field Leader's shoulders Yukari and Junpei dragged the poor soul into the karaoke booth where Minato's tormented screams never reached outside ears.
Author's Notes/Musings
Alright well now that my life is slightly less hectic than it was a couple weeks ago I can hopefully ease myself back into writing this novelization. Unfortunately my desktop got messed up and I'm not exactly sure if my Persona 3 game save files are still on there, hopefully they are or I'm going to have to play all the way back to where I am now which would take a long... long time. Thanks grindy game. Lol but I think I'm okay because after sifting through my hard drive I think my save files are still there. Until I manage to get internet on my desktop (Yes, my desktop doesn't have internet because the wifi doesn't reach my room. Life without internet is the literal definition of hell.) I can't reinstall the playstation emulator and therefore can't continue writing as I reached the end of my script. I guess I could lug my ~50 pound desktop, monitor, keyboard, and mouse down to where there's wifi but that'd just be a pain in the neck and I'm lazy as hell lol. Sorry :P
So thanks for being patient and reading chapter 9 of my novelization. I hope you are all finding this enjoyable so far. I'm having a pretty good time writing out everything about one of my favorite games of all time. It's a lot of work but it's just as much fun to me. Again, don't know how long it will be until I can get internet so it may be a little while until the next chapter is out. I know, I know, I could just get off my lazy butt and lift but I'll do my part in thinking what I want and how I want to write the Yakushima event where the Minato x Yukari ship truly sets sail. Look forward to it. I certainly am as odd as that sounds. Also introduction of Aigis but that's a moot point HAHA just kidding don't hate me. I love her just as much as the next guy but this story ain't about her. On that note I'm not planning to novelize the Answer because it's a lot of fighting and not too much story that I can really expand on. Some of you may argue with that but it's... a really time consuming thing to play through again and since it is quite the feel train I'm not very confident in my ability to write the deep emotions felt by some of the characters. Maybe if enough people lobby for it I'll get around to it but I'm gonna finish the Journey first, okay?
Again, thanks for being patient with me and sticking with me this far. Recently passed the 100 page mark on word so that's exciting. Next mark is the 100k words! Only 30k(?) more! Quite the progress I think. Granted that I'm maybe, maybe a quarter or a little past a quarter of the story I still have a long way to go but it's encouraging nonetheless to see how much progress I've made in two and a half (?) months. Sorry not looking at my story's stats or whatever so I'm not exactly paying attention to how long it's been. I'm also really tired right now and I have class tomorrow at 0800 (ugh). Life's hard man. I feel like I'm ranting but this is how it usually is when I'm tired lol. So put up with me while I just type whatever it is I want. I'm really sorry I'll just go to sleep so you can stop reading the nonsense I call my musings.
Anyways, thanks again for reading Chapter 9. I'll see you all at Yakushima! Woot woot operation babe hunt is a go!
